Apple publishes its financial report

Leaves it to the very last day

29 December 2006 14:08 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Apple filed its financial reports today, on the last possible day, because of delays due to an investigation into stock options backdating.

The company has suffered $84 million extra charge because of the investigation, which is looking into certain stock option grants made between 1997 and 2002.

Apple released a statement today, which read, in part: “'The special committee, its independent counsel and forensic accountants have performed an exhaustive investigtaion of Apple's stock option granting practices,' in a joint statement said Al Gore, chair of the special committee, and jerome York, chair of Apple's Audit and Finance Committee. “The board of directors is confident that the Company has corrected the problems that led to the restatement, and it has complete confidence in Steve Jobs and the senior management team.”

Although Apple released a statement in October exonerating Steve Jobs from any wrongdoings in the matter, Jobs is believed to have hired the lawyer who defended Martha Stewart to face the investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission